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Ann Matsuura/Bio
The daughter of a rock star and a ceramic artist, Ann Matsura's parents were both staunch pacifists. When Ann had a falling out with her family, she left home and enrolled in Eastern Private Defense Academy in an effort to distance herself from them. Ann generally was satisfied with life at the academy, proving herself to be a skilled markswoman, an attribute that would prove useful against the Trident mercenaries. Ann's mother is a foreigner, thus her English name. Ann has known Youji Takatsu since childhood, and in spite of their occasional arguing, are actually close friends, and by the end of their ordeal together, possibly more. __TOC__ Battle vs. Apache (Sniper) (by SPARTAN 119) Alternate universe (obviously, given the events to follow), Vietnam, 1966 US Army sniper Carlos Hathcock took aim the Viet Cong sniper known as Apache, who he had been stalking for weeks now. Hathcock pulled the trigger, his Winchester Model 70 rifle giving off a loud report. Apache's face was covered with a bright light, but it was not a muzzle flash. Apache felt her feet leave the ground, she was flying through a tunnel of light. "Have I been shot? Am I dead... Is this what dying feels like?", Apache thought to herself as the flew towards a blurry image at the end of the tunnel, which appeared to be a of a large city at night. Apache flew through the end of the tunnel and found landed on her stomach on a hard surface. Paris, France, June 16, 2024 "If I can still feel pain, I must not be dead...", Apache got up and noticed several people gathered around her, all of them Caucasians, speaking French. As Apache looked past them, she saw a street full of cars. Apache hadn't seen many cars in Vietnam, and they were all old and beat up. These vehicles, though, were new, and looked unlike anything Apache had seen before, almost futuristic. Beyond that, however, was the thing that surprised Apache the most: "The Eiffel Tower?", Apache said- like many Vietnamese, she could speak French, Vietnam being a former French colony, "I'm in Paris? How did I get here?" "You appeared here in a flash of light", A Frenchman said, "Anyway, who are you?.." Apache gave her real name, then said "I am a from Vietnam". "What about the rifle?", the man asked. "Enough questions!", Apache said, annoyed, pushing through the crowd. Immediately past the crowd, she saw something in a nearby cafe that made her freeze in her place. A man sat at an outdoor table with an Ipad. The device was unlike anything Apache had seen before, but that wasn't what grabbed her attention. Rather, it was the date displayed in the corner of the device: "June 16th, 2024? How could this be.. Either this is dream or... That light sent me forward in time..." Two years later, 2026 Crystel "Chris" Ario was quite pleased with the newest member of her unit, a Vietnamese woman who was an expert sniper. Sure, she was more than a bit eccentric. She claimed to be a Vietnam War-era sniper known as "Apache" by the Americans, who had been sent forward in time by some sort of mysterious accident. As such "Apache" favored an old Mosin-Nagant over more modern rifles. It had been difficult getting her out of spending the rest of her life in a mental institution after she walked through the streets of Paris with her rifle two years ago. Apache was initially overcome by culture shock when the arrived in the 2020s, and was now living with a woman named Crystel Ario, who took her in after she met her in the streets, and was intrigued by her claim that she was a Vietnamese sniper. Crystel, or Chris as she preferred, was a mercenary working for a company called "Trident", and she was a self-proclaimed "admirer" of Apache's work, being fascinated by her stories of the war, asking her questions down the the most grisly details, and was particularly impressed when she showed her a plain metal necklace, with numerous pieces of dried skin- human eyelids- affixed to it. Apache, meanwhile, was pleased to hear that the Americans had pulled out of Vietnam in 1973, and the country had been united under the communist north. About a six months into her new life in the 21st century, Chris offered her a job with Trident. While externally, Apache was a communist, and disapproved of such a capitalist notion, by this point, she had started to miss the thrill of the hunt, and though she never admitted this to Chris, the euphoria of holding the power to bring suffering and death. Because of this, Apache accepted the job, though she never told anyone other than Chris about her past. Within the next six months, Apache has pass Trident training, and was now a fully fledged operative. Over the next year, she proved her worth in Africa, eliminating several key figures in a militia. Apache was rather unimpressed with her next contract, however, an industrial espionage mission in Japan, to steal a part of an experimental weapons system from the JSDF. It sounded to Apache like an easy mission.... Forest surrounding the abandoned building, Fuji Training Grounds, Japan, 1:30 AM, June 23rd, 2026 "Ann-chan", Touko Natori said, tapping a sleeping Ann Matsura on the shoulder, "It's your turn to stand watch." Ann yawned and got up, picking her Walther WA-2000 sniper rifle and walking off the edge of the EPDA camp, getting into position in a clump of dense bushes. Ever since the students of Eastern Private Defense Academy had been forced out the abandoned building when the Trident mercs set fire to the place, Ann had taped branches and leaves to her uniform, a crude ghillie suit, to camouflage herself in the woods. The night air was cool and quiet, the only sound was that of the cicadas chirping into the night and the rippling of the trees in the wind. It was hard to believe that they were currently fighting to prevent a foreign PMC from stealing an experimental weapon. Ann and the rest of the students of Eastern Private Defense Academy, however, were suddenly made painfully aware of the reality of their situation when a gunshot rang out in the still night air. Less than two hundred meters away Apache sat in a Y-shaped intersection of two tree branches about two hundred meters away, cursing in Vietnamese under her breath as the round went wide, missing the head of her target and going into nearby tree. The rest of the students of Eastern Private Defense Academy ran for cover, hiding behind trees or boulders. Meanwhile, back with Ann Matsura Ann immediately went on high alert when she heard the gunshot. She had heard it, but she had not seen the muzzle flash. She needed the sniper to take a second shot, but she shuddered to think at what that could mean. Whether she really wanted it or not, the sniper fired again. This time, Ann saw the muzzle flash come from a tree about 150 meters away. This time the there was a shout of pain in Touko Natori's voice. "Natori-san, are you OK?", Kazuki Kurobe said from behind a rock. "I'm fine", Touko said, "It only grazed me". As Touko and Kazuki spoke, Ann took aim at the tree. She could tell where the muzzle flash had come from, but she could not clearly see the sniper. Ann exhaled and slowly applied pressure to the trigger, firing a shot the the tree. She then fired more rounds at the tree. After the third shot, Ann saw a dark figure run out of the tree and start running. Ann led her target and fired two more times, but the hastily aimed shots both missed. Ann ran out of cover, ducking as she relocated to another bush about twenty meters away. She stayed there for almost an hour, until she was sure that the sniper had indeed retreated. "I think the sniper's gone", Ann said, "Don't think I got them, but I definitely spooked them. 12:24 PM, June 23rd, 2026 Ann Matsura duct taped two sticks together, one larger, about five feet long, and one smaller, only about a couple feet in length, into a cross-shaped pattern. As she did so, Youji Takatsu walked up to her. "Hey, Ann, what are you doing with those sticks?", Youji asked. "Making a bait for that sniper from last night", Ann said as she took one of the ponchos that were standard issue for the students of EPDA and draped it over the stick cross, before perching a helmet over the top of the crossed stick to finish of the dummy target. "It's a trick used by snipers since at least the Second World War", Ann said, "Create a fake target, and, and when the enemy fires at it, they will reveal their position with the muzzle flash, allowing you to take the shot." "You really think that will work?", Youji asked, "I mean, it's pretty obvious that's not a person". "That may be true from standing right next to it in the day light, but at night from a couple hundred meters away, even with a scope, it will look like an actual target." 2:23 AM, June 24th, 2026 "Apache" crept through the woods surrounding the Fuji training grounds, to the location where the the teenagers that had caused Trident so much trouble lay hidden. Kneeling behind a bush, Apache placed her crosshairs over a helmet poking out over a bush about 100 meters away. There was no wind, this would be an easy shot. Apache squeezed trigger, sending a 7.62mm round through the helmet, knocking it several feet away. As Apache turned the bolt on her Mosin-Nagant rifle, she heard the report of a rifle, and felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. A bullet had shot through her her arm, not hitting the bone, but the wound was still bleeding profusely. Apache would have to retreat yet again without claiming a kill. 11:34 PM, June 24th, 2026 Ann Matsura stood in a tree, placing her decoy into a new location. She was sure she had hid the sniper this time, but she doubted whether the sniper would fall for the same trap again. In order to stay one step ahead of the game, she and Youji had come up with a new plan. "Youji", Ann called down to Youji Takatsu, who was standing below her, "Hand me that my pistol". "Here", Youji replied, handing Ann the USP .45 handgun. The weapon had a string carefully looped around the trigger, leading down in a large loop from the tree to a bush Ann was using as a sniping position. The mechanism was complicated, but the idea was simple: give her fake sniper a fake muzzle flash. "All right", Ann said, pulling back the slide of the empty handgun, "We're ready for the test run" Youji walked over to the end of the string, grabbed it, and pulled. The pistol let out the click of an empty chamber. "All right", Ann said, "It worked, hand me up the magazine". Youji handed Ann a loaded magazine, and after loading the weapon, Ann climbed down from the tree, her trap in position. 11:45 PM, June 24th, 2026 Apache was not in a good mood. The wound in her arm was properly bandaged now, and did not cause her any trouble aiming. However, she, the woman who terrorized battle-hardened US Marines, had been foiled two nights in a row by a bunch of kids. If she couldn't drive them out of their hole with sniper fire, Apache thought, perhaps she could do so through other means.... 11:50 PM: 5 minutes later Youji Takatsu walked out alone about 20 meters into the woods to take use what passed for a "bathroom" in the EPDA camp- a bush that obscured him from the rest of the camp. Youji about a minute later, Youji zipped up his fly, having finished watering the local plant life. At that moment, however, he could have sworn he heard sensed someone behind him. Practically the second after this occurred to him, he felt a rag soaked with some sort of chemical pressed against his face. Youji passed out instantly. 12:00 AM, June 25th, 2026 "Hey", Touko said, "Has anyone seen Takatsu-kun?" "Haven't seen him", Nanami Karino replied. "Me neither", responded Taro Tsurumi. "Last I saw of him he was going to the "bathroom", Kazuki Kurobe said, "But I haven't seen him since." The question of Youji's whereabouts was answered immediately in a most unpleasant manner. A female voice spoke in broken Japanese out from somewhere in the darkness through what sounded like a megaphone or a loudspeaker. "Attention students of Eastern Private Defense Academy. This is the Trident sniper that you have been engaged with these past few days. I have one of your friends as my "guest". You have one hour to surrender, or your friend....", the speaker said before he cut off to a scream, clearly in Youji's voice." Touko was torn between what to do, they could surrender, and risk the national security of Japan, or they could abandon Youji to an enemy who sounded like they were planning to torture him to death. Neither sounded like good options. Ann saw Touko's look of indecision, and, against everything she had been told in her military education, she acted on her own, without speaking with others. Ann pulled the string looped around the trigger of the USP .45 in the tree next to her dummy. The pistol fired the report filling the still night air. Meanwhile a few hundred meters away "Where's your sniper located?", "Apache" said to Youji in what little Japanese she had learned for the mission. "I'm not saying shit!", Youji said defiantly. Apache grabbed a her combat knife, which she had already used to lightly cut Youji's side- a to his comrades warning of what was to come, and pointed it menacingly between his legs. "Next time I'll cut them off", Apache said. Thankfully, Apache's plans for his reproductive organs were foiled by a gunshot that rang out in the night, and a muzzle flash in a tree. "I'm still going to cut them off, and your eyelids too", Apache said, "But first, your going to watch me kill one of your friends." At that, Apache picked up her Mosin-Nagant and took aim at tree where the muzzle flash came from. She fired off a single shot. The round hit the helmet of the target, causing a dark figure to fall out of the tree. Apache then turned to Youji, but he was not wearing a look of sorrow or fear, but a look a satisfied smirk, as though he were victorious. "What's so funny?!", Apache yelled at him, brandishing her knife. A suddenly, a loud loud crack rang out, as a flash in the darkness lit up the night. The bullet went into Apache's back, causing the front of her chest to explode outwards, before she fell to the ground in a pool of blood. Youji heard a rustling in forest, and seconds later, heard Ann Matsura's voice. "Youji!", Ann said, "Are you OK?" "I'm fine", Youji said, as Ann set about untying him whose arms were bound to a tree, "It hurts but it isn't very deep". As soon as Youji was loose, Ann threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I was so worried about you", she said tearfully, as she hugged him tighter. They did not break apart until Touko Natori, who Youji had just noticed was there, along with Kazuki Kurobe, Hikari Senami, and Taro Tsurumi. "Ann", Touko said, "What you did was reckless, dangerous, and would have got you court martialed if we were actually in the military... but it saved the life of one of our comrades, and I am grateful for that". Suddenly a female voice shouted a several words in Vietnamese. Apache was still alive, and with her last breath, she had reached for the Tokarev pistol at her side and took aim at Ann and Touko, both of whose backs were turned. However, instead of a gunshot, the only sound heard was a scream of pain and the sound of a knife entering flesh. "You tried to torture me!", Youji said furiously, thrusting Apache's own knife into its owner again, "You tried to kill my friends!" After stabbing Apache three times, Youji breathed heavily, panting over his vanquished torturer. Ann reached out and grabbed Youji's hand, in spite of the blood that now stained it, helping him up. "I guess..." Youji said through heavy breaths, "We're even..." "I guess we are", Ann said, as they started to walk back to their camp, his hand still in hers. The Next Day Ann and Youji woke up early that morning to the sound heavy footsteps that morning. "JSDF!", A male voice yelled. All of the Eastern Private Defense Academy students stood with their hands raised in the air around the camp, surrounded by several JSDF soldiers. "I suppose your here to take us", Touko said. "Command has cleared any confusion, the warrants for your arrest have been voided, and there will be no criminal charges pressed. The French PMCs responsible for the incident have been apprehended.", The squad leader said, as he picked up the box the EPDA students had been working so hard to protect. Touko looked relieved that she they were no longer wanted by the police or the SDF. "You will be debriefed once we get you back to base. Afterwards, you will be allowed to return to your families. From what I heard, you may even be eligible for medals", and SDF soldier said. "Meaning no disrespect, sir", Youji said, "But what I'd like most about now are a hot meal and a shower". The entire group of EPDA students murmured and nodded in agreement as they left the woods. WINNER: Ann Matsura Expert's Opinion The Expert's believed that, while Apache was brutal and highly experienced combatant, Ann's larger magnification scope with a ballistic reticle, as well as her knowledge of the area won her this battle. To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here. Battle vs. Anaksha (by BattleGames1) Jack Goldwyn's Office, 6:00pm Welcome to Santa Lina: World of Wonder HELL! Those words... so true... and yet so commonplace that it soon loses its shock value every time you go in and out of the city. Jack Goldwyn looked through the window of his office block. The same words and graffiti appeared on the billboard of the building across him. Sunlight beams from behind the billboard and the sky begins to lose its blue hue. Night will soon fall and the hunter will strike again. Small clouds of smoke filled the room as Jack smoked another one of his cigarettes. It wasn't one of those new cigarettes that the thugs below him were using but a Lucky - just like Bogart smoked in the movies. With the cigarette still in his mouth, Jack looked down on the street below him. The citizens of Santa Lina were happily going about their business, whatever that may be - fashion girls chatting away, hunky boys doing their workouts and the sleazy bars across him are beginning to open. Taking his hand off the window frame, Jack looked up at the sky. My father would be proud to know that today might be the day I get that scumbag he thought. The photo of his father, the late Sergeant George Goldwyn, stood tall on his dressing table behind, the face of a kindly (corrupt) police officer leaving a permanent goal embedded in Goldwyn's mind. Ashes from the cigarettes trickled down onto his cotton shirt and brown vest before Jack's mouth loosened to allow the thing to fall into his hands. Ring goes the doorbell. That must be my secret weapon here... Jack mused as he made his way to the door. Standing there in front of him was the most extraordinary thing he could lay his eyes on - a young woman. "I was told to see a Mr Jack Goldwyn here..." she delicately spoke "...are by any chance, Mr Goldwyn?" "You must be Ann Matsura. Pleasured to make your acquaintance" Jack stretched his hand out in amity. With one hand grasping the sling of her knapsack, Ann returned the handshake. "Nice to meet you sir. I've heard all about you" "Same to you" Jack giggled before looking behind him at the room. Not much in the way of extra furnishings but I guess there was enough room for Ann to camp down. "Come in" Jack directed Ann inside. Gracefully gliding by the door, Ann dropped her knapsack onto the floor. In it contained the big and bulky Walther sniper rifle, some ammunition and her H&K USP also with ammunition. Her other bag of course contained a few essentials - to her, perhaps catching this Virgo Killer may take a little more than just a day or two. "So... where do we start?" Ann cheerily asked. The plain-ness of her attire stood in stark contrast to the beauty that Jack saw in Ann - her slanted eyes, the fringe accessory to her hair and that warm smile all on a smooth and silken face. "Jack?" Ann asked again. Immediately he was drawn out of his mini-daze. "Um... yeah. I'll get a map of the area and get you briefed. Would you like me to make you some tea? My secretary's out for the day so..." "No thanks..." Ann flopped herself on the couch "Not now, anyway" Jack stared at Ann while the later inspected her arsenal. Magazines out, checking bullets... she was very methodical how she prepares herself. In his office, Jack fumbled around with the papers - most of them scraps of evidence and news clippings - until he found a rather detailed map of Santa Lina to show. Unfurling it over the coffee table, Jack proceeded to outline to Ann the various districts she may encounter in her stay at the city - however long it may be, Jack doesn't know. "OK. The Santa Lina Police Department has assigned you as our undercover counter-sniper and you'll be helping to protect..." Jack then reveals another set of papers and flopped them over the table. "This guy, John Napier. Now I'm going to run a sting that will have me talking to him at the cafe... here" John carefully instructed as he pointed to the Luxor Valley area of the map. Ann's eyes were all focused on Jack's fingers as he glided over to the pictures of the area. "And you'll be stationed over at the apartment just next to it over here" Jack concluded. "Is that all?" Ann questioned. "Well I also need to mention that you'll be accompanying me to the place but with your schoolsuit on, I can make it look like you're an exchange student. Just give the police your rifle..." Jack droned on. "And they'll place it in the hotel room. All I need to bring is my USP and I'm set" Ann continued in the same droning noise "Really, is this the best you can do?" "Well it could be worst. Napier is an apparent pedophile and serial rapist and with this sting, we've got him where we want" Jack stated. "Unless the Virgo Killer gets to him first" Ann realised. "Correct" Jack stood up and straightened his tie "Now, I think we start..." He looked around the room and noticed the clock. 6:30pm. Wow I'm real early Jack mused to himself but I guess I better get going "Well... I doubt the Virgo Killer is going to be at his hiding place now so I think you better head down to the police station now." "Thanks Jack" Ann politely replied Man, that was short. I guess this Virgo Killer must be some amateur ''Ann exited the room with courtesy ''Let's see how this criminal will stand up to me - someone's who trained... She couldn't help but muse over how simple this task might turn out to be. Anaksha's Mansion, 9:50pm "Yes Dee, I will give you one of my necklaces if you manage to beat me in a game of Mario..." came a sarcastic voice from the bathroom. Anaksha then walked out, clothed in a silk bathrobe and holding her iPhone in her hand. "That's a good girl, Anna." Dee giggled on her end of the phone. She was busy staring at her computer screen looking at the newspapers of the day. Her eyes behind the glasses skimmed through many detailed accounts and articles. "So, big girl. Ready for your next assignment?" "Ready as I'll ever be boss!" Anaksha playfully laughed as she zipped up the back of her dress. "Who's the next person on the hitlist?" "Oh you're gonna love this one..." Dee scrolled through the pages of the newspaper to find the Wanted advertisement "His name is John Napier. Just turned 40 last week. Features: Blonde hair, scraggly beard, thin eyes and a tan..." Dee continued scrutinising the report, carefully making sure she is absorbing all the key words. "Police say he is a serial rapist, kidnapping children from the wealthy and offering them as sex slaves to the poor..." "Hmph. Some Robin Hood he is..." Anaksha pondered aloud as she prepped her M24 and ammo belt. "Wait, it gets better" Anaksha's eyes widened to hear the next amazing news about Napier "He apparently had sex with his own daughter, son and the sons and daughters of his friends - some lover he happens to be. All of them now are reported to have said they 'did not mind it'..." There was a brief period of silence before both women started laughing at the absurdity of this matter. "Hey, this isn't a funny matter!" Dee snapped to attention. "Sorry, Dee. Any idea where he could be?" Anaksha herself calmed down and continued to brush her hair. "Well I'm looking at the police reports and they say that he normally comes around to the Poison Ivy Club in the Luxor Valley where he meets with his contacts and uh..." "Uh what, Dee?" Anaksha questioningly asked. "It says here in their newsletter that someone new is coming to the Department. Hopefully they will have this person help them a great deal in their hunt for the Virgo Killer. Don't know how relevant that may be but I reckon that you should know to be more careful" "Dee. Lemme tell you something" Anaksha said as she slung the M24 over her shoulder "I know where to hide and I bet this new person who's coming to the Department will just be another loony who thinks they have the skills. It's not gonna go down well for Chief Wiggum and gang so..." Anaksha then locked the door to her mansion. Looking around to make sure no-one was outside looking or walking around, Anaksha continued to the gate. "Well good luck and I'll get back to you if anything changes" and then Dee sighed off. Anaksha mused at her phone for a while before carefully dropping it behind the bushes where she also picked up a rucksack. Inside it contained her jammers, some ammunition and her trusty Colt. Robin Hood vs Virgo Killer... this should be a good night... she amused herself before walking down the footpath away from her house. The street lamps lit the place up like a film noir setting, leaving Anaksha wandering towards town like a silhouette. The night was reaching its maturity. The smell of blood and noise will fill the air. Poison Ivy Club, 10:58pm Anaksha was just setting up her rifle in the best hiding spot she could find. Not too out in the open but not too closed either so as to keep her peripheral vision intact. Staring down the scope, she could see the wonders of Luxor Valley. Posh apartments housing posh people. Casinos left and right buzzing away as people gamble and spend all they want. Lights blared out, cars honking here and there. Yep, the night was buzzing away very lively - enough noise to mask a sniper bullet. Anaksha aimed down her Leupold scope, espying on her target just busy outside the club smoking a Marlborough. Features matched the description Dee gave me... ''Anaksha amused herself ''Well Mr Napier, lemme introduce you to the real Robin Hood here... As she was about to depress the trigger... Screech! A car just happened to pull up right in front of the cafe blocking her vision. Ah fuck! She removed her eye from the scope. Get out of the way, scumbag! On ground level, Jack switched the ignition off his car. "So Ann... you ready?" Ann stepped out of the vehicle dressed in her usual EPDA classroom attire. To Jack and her, the costume seemed very discrete and civilized. Passerbys however noticed the glaring beauty and decor of this new arrival - some of them even stopped to take photos as Ann walked out of the sedan. "Just get me to the hotel already" Ann tiringly stated "Alright, clear off you lot!" Jack shooed the crowd that was about to gather. Anaksha, from atop, saw all this and thought "Pfff, Japanese girls and their appealing beauty. Why don't nice Indian girls like me get the guys?" "Don't get so worked up... Wait did you say Japanese girl?" Dee on the phone queried. "Yeah..." Anaksha peered through the scope of her rifle "and Jack is taking her to some hotel. Probs some exchange student..." "Can you describe to me her face?" Dee pressured. Trying to get a clear view of the face as Ann walked through the revolving door into the lobby, Anaksha absorbed all she can. "Uh, just like any other Jap girl really. Lean, slanted eyes... but she does have a small quaint mouth and long flowing black hair. Goes down past the shoulders" She commented. "Wait a second... I thought I saw her image in a newspaper article some time ago. Lemme get back to you..." and in a ruffle of noise, Dee switched off. Anaksha continued to peer through her scope at the action down on the street, keeping an eye on her target - wherever he may be. After entering the hotel, Ann strode up to the reception desk. As if on order, the clerk handed her a hotel key for Room 23. Staring at the key, Ann made her way to the elevator still clinging on to the heavy rucksack containing her ammo and pistol. Although the jingling of the ammunition made some noise, the hotel staff didn't seem to be too bothered. Anaksha continued peering through the scope of the rifle, carefully eyeing Jack as he took his seat in the club. After some consideration, she shifted her aching body towards her bag of ammo. Carefully unloading the magazine, she slotted her Winchester bullets in the magazine. It only takes one to kill but she can't afford to miss her shots. And for good measure... Anaksha smiled to herself as she slotted in one more bullet - this one made of extremely tough rubber. Looking back through her scope, Napier dropped his Marlborough as if on cue. He then turned around and approached the entrance to the building. Let the trapping commence... Jack took his seat at the round table near the window - it was the only one that was available, said the waitress. Yeah, and one that would sure get me killed even before I have a bite he hesitantly thought. Trying to calm himself, Jack smoothened out the crinkles on his trenchcoat. Again, its the Bogart influence on him that made him wear that worn out old thing. Fumbling in his pockets, he took out a Lucky cigarette. Once he put the paper rod into his mouth, a flicker of light shone right in front of him. "Need a lighter, mate?" the man holding the match asked. He had a thick British accent about him and his face matched that sentiment - blonde hair, blue eyes, a scragged beard (no this isn't a John Constantine look-alike :P ), just like the police report had listed. "Gee thanks!" Jack sarcastically exclaimed as he took a puff. "You know, I'm glad we're having this little chit-chat here" Napier grunted as he sated himself opposite Jack. "If I hadn't got anything scheduled for now, I would be so bored and not have any dough to rake in..." "I've got the location regarding your next batch of kids to use..." Jack interrupted "Oh you do, huh?" Napier's tone was becoming slightly more gleeful. Inside Room 23, Ann was all set. Window open and lights dimmed, Ann had carefully set her Walther WA-2000 on the sill. Loading her box of six rounds into it, Ann peered through the scope and muttering into the night air "Alright, Virgo, show me what you've got..." "Briefcase here is full of your client's money..." Jack said as he placed the bulky item on the desk. "Thanks a bunch!" Napier exclaimed in joy, his grin continuing to sport the gleaming studs on his teeth. However, the expression of joy turned into shock when the locks on the case were popped. Instead of the tonnes of money he was hoping for, John found himself facing an empty shell... and a cop holding a gun to his face. Anaksha kept herself amused seeing this wondrous spectacle about to go wrong. Suddenly, the phone vibrated. "What now, Dee?" Anaksha got real annoyed at the interruption since now would be the perfect time to shoot the bastard cleanly. "Anna, I think I know who you may be dealing with" "What are you talking about?" "That Japanese girl from earlier-" "Dee, I'm in the middle of a good sniper shot..." "Fine" Dee caved in "I'll send you the details via SMS..." and she switched off the phone. Since she knew that the first bullet in her magazine is the rubber bullet, Anaksha carefully lined up the barrel to her first target. "So you think you can handcuff me for what you said there?" Napier shunned at the 'absurdity' Jack was spewing out, and in front of the patrons no doubt. "That's right" Jack huffed out as he continued to brandish his pistol in front of Napier "And you're coming with me down to the station" Cellphone out, Jack rung a number. On her end, Ann carefully and patiently waited - trying to make out a figure with all this light should have been easy but it seems the Virgo Killer has positioned 'himself' rather well in Ann's eyes. Suddenly, the phone next to her rang. "Hello?" she said. "Ann. Has our target made the move yet?" "Not yet. Maybe your presence has done the trick..." "Alright then. See if you can phone the station and ask them to have a car pick me and Mr. Napier up" "I'm sorry sir, I can't hear you. Could you repeat that?" Ann exclaimed over the building static. "I said-" Jack yelled into the phone but to no avail. The other patrons and Napier began chuckling at the policeman's misfortune. In a rage, Jack charged towards Napier and tackled him to the ground. "Either we're going to do this the easy way..." Jack's tone became quite threatening, even more so as he held up his pistol quite close to Jack's face "...or the hard way!" "Hello? Jack?" Ann struggled to get a signal but then realised Oh shit. I'm being jammed. Ann peered through the scope again and found more signs of the Virgo Killer's trickery - the traffic lights are stuck on red. "Alright you son of a bitch! Where are you?" Ann grunted through her teeth. Suddenly, she saw a flash. Napier was speechless and frozen in fear. The cop in front of him just got rough, real rough. He looked at the side of the window, hoping for some miracle. And then, it came. One minute, Jack was crouched in front of John holding his pistol close to the temple. Next thing, he was on the ground rolling in agony amongst shards of glass... and a rubber bullet. Witnessing this, John got up in amazement. The Virgo Killer has struck again. The other patrons around him just stood around, paralyzed by this wonder. Down below, the streets were filled with people running around in a frenzy. Anaksha's eye was itching for relief at this moment but she wasn't going to hold back without completing the job. Suddenly, her phone buzzed again. Instead of a call however, Anaksha opened the phone to a webpage highlighting the Japanese girl she saw earlier. Name: Ann Matsura. Schooled in one of Japan's top military training facilities. Graduated with flying colours for her excellent marksmanship. She's the one the police have recruited to find the Virgo Killer. Oh fuck me! Anaksha desparately thought I need to get this job done quickly and she peered through the scope again. John was still there in looking for a way out of the situation, helpless like a rat. He looked in Anaksha's direction. Oh shit the killer's after me! was John's last thought before another sniper bullet pierced the window and landed a shot on his neck. "Yes! Gotcha!" Anaksha puffed in triumph. Mobile phone raised, she began to text Dee about her success. Dee, I've done it and I'm comin' home before thi-'' BANG! another sniper shot rang out, knocking the phone off Anaksha's hands and leaving it as a molten heap of junk on the floor next to her. Anaksha looked up back on the street but it wasn't long before two more sniper shots landed just near her, barely touching the jacket. ''That must be her... and with that, Anaksha rolled out of the way. Ann, from her room noticed this sudden action and tried aiming for her again but Anaksha was quicker on the trigger. Ann quickly jumped out of the way as a sniper round embedded itself onto the sill of her window. Anaksha tried to aim for Ann's head but the latter was too quick on the ball again. This time though, Anaksha's rifle fired and hit the ceiling lamp, plunging Ann into the dark. Back in the club, Jack lifted himself off from the mess on the floor. His vision returned to normal after a while but all he could see was an empty club restaraunt, a cracked window and Napier lying on the floor with a shot to his jaw. Outside, the street was lined up with civilians rushing around like headless chickens as shots were fired into the air. Jack rushed downstairs and out of the bar towards the chaotic scene. He whipped out his cellphone to find out now it has its signal back. What's more the police cars on patrol had just passed by him. Stopping to hail one down, Jack also dialled a number on his cellphone to the police station. "Yeah get me the Sergeant, we just got ourselves a busy night..." Recovering from the shots fired at her, Ann quickly looked through her scope again to find that dastardly sniper; but the figure has just gotten up and ran away. Ann tried to aim but it was too late, she was out of her sight. Not wanting to lose her target, Ann bolted out of her room (with an extra ammo magazine stashed in her pockets) into the stairwell. Opening the nearest window, Ann found herself on the fire escape with a much wider view of the area. The shadowy figure of the Virgo Killer appeared on her left, bounding over another wide gap. Ann immediately took aim and fired off a few shots in the hope that would slow the Killer down. Instead, the shadow continued running, and fired back. The shots ricocheted against the railing but fortunately Ann wasn't hit. Following the shots, Ann clambered up to the higher levels of the fire escape, trying to pick off shots as well as she could. No matter how accurate she aimed her sights, the silhouette of the Virgo Killer managed to evade the shots. The same could be said though of Ann. Everytime Anaksha tried to aim for her, Ann happened to be one step ahead of her. "Oh, so you wanna play it my way huh?" Anaksha muttered to herself. She took aim at Ann as she leapt over another building rooftop. Unfortunately for Anaksha, Ann had already ducked behind an A/C unit. Silence fell as a chilly wind blew past the street. Then from below, a bellowing voice followed by a harmonious background noise of dissent came: "Virgo Killer, you are surrounded. The best thing for you to do now would be to show yourself!" Ann peeked out from behind her cover when she heard that familiar. Goddammit Jack! Ann amusingly thought to herself as she reloaded her last mag into the rifle. Down on the street, Jack Goldwyn lowered his megaphone and asked the SWAT captain when the helicopter will arrive. "In about 2 minutes sir" he responded. "Great, that's all I need to know!" Ah fuck. No communication. Almost out of ammo. My jammers are off and back in that other building. What do I do? Anaksha was getting quite desparate. Quick as a flash (before the police searchlights below could switch on), Anaksha ducked behind the only cover she could find and that was behind a brick chimney. Her grip on her M24 rifle tightened when she heard a whirring sound come closer. 11:58pm Everyone looked up at the sky to see what was coming. Sure enough a black helicopter figure arrived on the scene, headlight shining like the moon. Jack's face filled with glee and awe at the sight of the vehicle. Now he was going to get his exact vengeance upon the Virgo Killer. "You've got no other option now!" Jack yelled into the megaphone as the helicopter shone the beacon at the large chimney stack. "Come out with your hands up!" The audience behind him built up into what almost seemed like a protest as cheers and boos were heard all around. Oh heck, the public's on this guy's side... what an asshole! Jack dropped the megaphone and yelled at the audience to shut up before having more police roll in as crowd control. The wind brushed past Anaksha's hair as she clutched her rifle tightly against her bosom. That's it, I've been caught... Anaksha looked at the sky in despair. The moon was lit but was shining bright as a virgin - maybe there is a time to stop... Anaksha looked back down at her rifle. No, I must complete my duty. If the police can't do it... Anaksha opened the magazine of her M24. One bullet left in the chamber. I will. God out of all the cliches I've seen, this HAS to happen to me she mused as she cocked the bullet in place. "Here goes nothing!" she softly whispered to herself. Ann behind the A/C unit, slowly crept out into the open to see what was happening. To her, the whole world seemed to be still. Peeking, she saw the chopper buzzing away. The wings and the light made its eerie presence known. The wind blew wildly across her hair and the show of lights seemed to have a blindingly attractive aura. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, in a split-second, a sniper shot echoed into the sky. What followed became total insanity for Jack. One minute the spotlight went out, the next minute - the chopper span out of control, engine spewing out smoke, spotlight temporarily blinding him. Taking this moment, Ann screamed as she fired her shots wildly into the air hoping to take a hit. With the wind in her boots, Anaksha quickly sprinted across the terrace towards the nearest door. In amongst the whirring of the chopper as it tries to steady itself, three tiny dots appeared in the air behind her. Realising them as bullets, Anaksha kicked the door and just ran straight in - not before though one of them embeds itself sharply into Anaksha's right hand. Trying to hide herself in amongst the dark hallways, Anaksha forced open the nearest window. Surprisingly, in the alleyway just below her, a black sedan seemed to be awaiting her presence. Bounding her way down the fire escape, she reached the vehicle and saw a familiar figure inside it. "Well don't stand there, Madam Virgo, hop in!" Dee exclaimed. Ann vaulted as quickly as she can towards the end of the building she was standing on. Unfortunately, there was no fire escape hatch to go down from. The large black mechanical beast was flying real close to her by the time she made her leap of faith into the alley below. Just by chance she clung onto a drainage pipe as the whirring passed by. The helicopter steadied itself and continued to fly off into the air, shaking slightly and still spewing smoke. Ann clutched on real tight, letting her grip loosen itself so as to provide a way to slide down. Upon reaching ground level, Ann ran out onto the street. Crowds of people were recovering from the spectacle of the fallen helicopter. Some of them ambled away to their cars, some ran. Either way, another eventful night was about to draw to a close. "Ann!" Jack called out as he ran towards her. "What happened back there?" Puffing, Ann replied "Well what do you think? I tried to get the Virgo Killer but wow was she agile!" An incredulous look appeared on Jack's face "She?" "Well from what I could see, the figure wasn't male" Ann looked out towards the street in solemn despair. She was the greatest marksman from Japan, but how come she couldn't get this elusive woman? "Here," Jack comforted her with his trenchcoat "Lemme take you back to my place so you can relax" A look of joy appeared on Ann's face as she accepted the offer. Back on the main road, Anaksha and Dee continue driving. With her adrenaline rush settling down, Anaksha looked at her bloodstained hand. As Anaksha grunted in pain as she tried to wipe the blood off with the tissues, Dee came to a traffic light. "That was one nasty shootout back there. No wonder I came to your rescue. News was just buzzing with the story of this." Dee mused. Anaksha continued to grunt in order to suppress the wound. "Here, let me take care of that when we get back to my place." "It's OK Ann. I'm fine" Anaksha exclaimed. The pain from that lucky hit was surging through her veins like no other shot she's taken. Dee looked ahead of her and noticed that it was starting to rain. Ah another light sprinkling. Hopefully this will wash the blood off the streets Dee mused again, impatiently waiting for the lights to change. Suddenly in front of her, two figures walked down the road. OK, no big deal but with a wipe of the wipers, the figures revealed themselves to be Jack and Ann. Anaksha just lifted her head to see the same thing. "Ann?" Anaksha was beginning to sound desparate. "It's OK. They haven't spotted us..." Dee reassured her. Ann and Jack seemed to be chatting away quite happily as if they were friends. Perhaps he's making his next move Anaksha thought. Then, the unthinkable happened. Ann turned to her left and saw the car and its occupants. At first she thought nothing of it but then, as the lights turned green, she did a double take. Anaksha hunkered low into her seat in the car, combating the pain in her hand as she tried to squeeze it beside her. "Ann? Is there something wrong?" Jack inquired when he noticed a puzzled expression on Ann's. "That figure..." Ann silently muttered "I swear I've seen it a few minutes ago..." Then as the car in front of her drove away... "THAT'S HER!" she yelled as she took out her USP and aimed it for the car. Jack, as any good police officer would do, tried to stop Ann from firing but she wiped her magazine clean. Lucky no-one was injured but Ann struggled in his arms. "Keep yourself together girl!" Jack grunted as he brought Ann back to her senses. "Shit!" Dee and Anaksha sighed as they sated themselves back up "That was close!" The windscreens both front and back were riddled with bullet holes, to the point they looked like they were going to break open any minute. "Cmon, let's get back to the house while we still can!" Dee exclaimed as she revved her car and made it disappear in all the rain, heat, noise and lights Luxor Valley. Streets of Whitehall, 12:00pm Ann strode down the paved sidewalk, dodging incoming citizens as they rush their way to and from work. Bitter as the cold wind brushing through her, Ann clutched her briefcase very tightly and picked up the speed. The night before she almost got it right. She almost killed the Virgo Killer. But that stupid Jack Goldwyn thought I was harming an innocent. Nobody seemed to be bothered by her appearance, but dressing in a red tracksuit and wearing some strange goggles seemed to catch the attention of a few people. She couldn't stop thinking about that night and what happened to her. After firing those shots, Jack quickly confiscated the gun. "Keep yourself together girl!" he yanked it away "You were about to harm an innocent..." "She looked like the person I was fighting up there..." Ann retorted. "What? That girl, Anaksha?" Jack loosened up but still remained firm "I've seen her once or twice but what's she got to do with it?" Ann gave him a rather cold look before she stormed off towards the car "Let's just go..." "I mean she did have a Virgo tattoo on her but the Virgo Killer has built up a cult of personality so anyone can be the Killer!" Jack yelled as he reached the other side of the path. Traffic was escalating, rain was pouring, but Luxor Valley was still buzzing away like usual. Coming up to the car door, Jack exasparated "You haven't listened to a word I've said, have you?" With Ann giving him the cold shoulder, Jack resigned and stepped in. "Well, even if we didn't get the Killer tonight, we still have the rest of the week. Better brush up on your skills" he requested. And thats what Ann is exactly going to do at the moment - brush up on her sniping skill by taking the shot which would make her famous (or infamous as she heard about the public admiration). Ducking into an alleyway, Ann made sure no-one was looking. The streets of Whitehall, as she discovered after reading a map the time she got back, were covered in surveillance cameras in most places. The alleyway she was in however, was in underground territory so it was safe for her to sneak in. Throwing the briefcase over the railing above, she ascended the first ladder on the fire escape. From there it was a simple climb up to the unoccupied floor she also absorbed into her memory upon reading the plans of the building she was going into - an almost empty block of public housing in front of the Zaranna Corp. building. Upon ascending to the right level, Ann picked the locks on the emergency exit before entering the stairwell. Upon shutting the door, Ann dropped her briefcase and unpicked the latches - revealing the disassembled parts of her Walther on one compartment and her USP with ammunition clips in another. Staging the USP compartment carefully for easy access, Ann then assembled the Walther. The clicks and clacks of the different pieces snapping into place resounded throughout the stairwell. Ann feared she'd be caught by someone investigating but fortunately that wasn't the case. Done with her assembly, Ann slowly crept into the deserted hallway. Finding an empty room that served as a suitable vantage point, Ann mounted her Walther at the nearest window she could see. Lucky for her, it was right in front of the Zaranna Corp building... and her target was just standing in her office, chatting away on her cellphone oblivious to the danger that was about to befall her. "Yeah I know that. But what of the rest of the workers?" a disheartened Anaksha replied. These damn budget cuts from the US treasury... she annoyingly pondered. "Well they need to be re-trained and rescheduled somewhere" the voice on the other end said "I'm sorry Ma'am, but there's nothing else we can do to combat this recession..." "Understood" she sighed before switching her phone off. Tucking her phone away, one of her subordinates walked in. "You wanted to see me?" the young man asked politely. Watching patiently from afar, Ann continued to peer through the scope at the scene before here. The streets were still humming with life with the city dwellers walking to and from work. Through the tinted windows of the office buildings, men and women were constantly working their butts off. And her in the lowly apartment sits Ann. It's all part about being a sniper. Sitting in places where others would whinge about because their asses aren't comfy... Ann silently waited... and waited until Anaksha was alone. Unfortunately, she also waited until not many people were not in any adjacent room. Hours seemed to tick away. Ann was strangely neither hungry nor thirsty. Even more so, the eerieness of the walls surrounding her intensified but it didn't seem to bother her at all. Eventually, the time was right, almost everyone left the block. No-one came into hers. Jack still didn't know where she was - presumably she told Jack she'd be going out and exploring the town. Anaksha congratulated the worker in her office before coming to take a seat, revelling in silence and downtime. She took her phone out and dialled for Dee's number. "Hey Dee!" "Hey Anna! How are you?" "I'm pretty swell thanks! How's your hand holding up?" "You know, no-one took notice" "Really?" "Yeah, it was like weird. But I guess workers shouldn't converse with their bosses like that" "Tell me about it" Dee snorted. "So Dee, got any new crims to catch and serve justice too?" Anaksha was leaning against the window at this point, unaware that Ann has got her in her sights. "Yes I do. Now you're gonna love this one..." Dee droned on about some other rapist and serial killer and how this man or woman is not like anything she's ever seen before. Whilst she was paying close attention to Dee's ramblings, something caught her eye. "Shit!" Ann whispered as she ducked beside the window. It was almost a close call. The lens of her rifle had flared directly into her target. As a sniper she would have known better. Its OK, I don't think she noticed Ann comforted herself before taking out a mirror. Shining it in a direction that avoided the glare of the sunlight. Good she sighed after noticing Anaksha slowly pacing around the room still on the phone in her usual decorum. In the office, Anaksha couldn't help but notice a faint shimmer in her eyes. Peering through the large glass wall in her office, she saw the glint of a scope from the building across her. For a split-second it appeared but that was enough time to alert Anaksha that something was wrong. "Sorry Dee, I missed that part" "Ugh, what's the matter now?" "You know that sniper who tried to attack us last night?" "Yes?" "I dunno but I have a slight suspicion she is watching me..." "Oh... well... does she know you're the Virgo Killer?" "Duh, yes! She attacked us last night because she saw me leave the scene and now she's got her eye on me from across the building... or so I think..." "Well you know what to do..." Dee cautioned before she switched off. Even though the sound of silence ran through her ears, Anaksha continued to pretend-talk on her cellphone. Ann peered at her mirror and looked as the the business figure of Anaksha continued to pace around the room before exiting the room. "Damn it!" she whispered in ire. Guess it's gonna be another long waiting game Alright, time to gear up! Anaksha thought as she descended the elevator. She began to think how the situation plays out. She has to keep cool while silencing Ann even if the latter seems like a higher priority. The lift then buzzes to a halt as Anaksha steps out into the carpark. Her trusty modded motorcycle sits in wait. Back at the abandoned building, Ann continues to sit patiently, keeping her eye on the office window. She too thought carefully how the whole situation will play out. However, upon peering through her scope at the empty room, her target failed to walk back in. The day was done, the last few workers left to go to their abodes, cars rolled out of the park... but she wasn't there. Ah! Virgo Killer! Where are you? she angrily thought. A warning shot was all what she can think of doing at the present time. No. Too risky. Adjusting her peripherals, she saw the entire business district again buzzing away in the light of the afternoon. Anaksha, watching her leather does not rustle or squeak, sneaks in through the door of the apartment. Colt by her side she continues slinking her way around the hallways trying to find the room that Japanese brat is in. Eventually she comes across Ann's briefcase in the stairwell. Now I've got ya! and Anaksha slowly crept forward. Here. There. Everywhere. There was no movement or face that resembled the Virgo Killer. She muttered as she peered through the scope (unaware that her target is closer than she thinks) "God damn it. Where are you, you little bitch?" "How about right behind you?" A scary feminine voice from behind replied. Before she can pull out her USP, Anaksha pistol-whipped Ann with the side of the Colt's barrel. Ann quickly responded with a right jab to the abdomen, sending Anaksha back. Ann then swiped her leg up ready to land a heel to the head but Anaksha caught the foot before it could deal the blow. With all her might, Anaksha threw her Ann against the wall. Regaining her wits, Ann stood and threw a series of punches at her opponent. Remembering her training with Baba-Ji, Anaksha blocked the blows back. Needing to get out of the situation quickly, Ann grabbed Anaksha by the hair and slammed her against the door. With Anaksha on the floor, Ann quickly rushed out of the room and back down the hallway. Behind her, Anaksha rolled out of the room and fired her Colt in Ann's direction, missing the first few shots. Reaching the emergency exit, Ann fired a few shots of her own at Anaskha who quickly jumped onto her feet. Ann quickly picked up another magazine to fit in her pocket before ascending the emergency stairwell. Goddammit, Ann. What are you trying to do? Anaksha mused as she too entered the emergency stairwell and saw Ann's hair flutter past. Firing off a few warning shots did not help, as Ann ascended faster to another floor. Rather than risk it going up another flight of stairs as Anaksha would think she would do, she bolted out onto the third level. Anaksha quickly reached the open door to find Ann gone. Slowing her pace, she clutched her bandaged hand trying to stifle the pain that had built up from the adrenaline. Walking down the hallway, Anaksha covered her eyes as the glare of the sun glinted in front of her. Spying the area around her, she saw nothing but cracked whitewash walls and dirty carpets. "Alright, missy..." she grunted under her breath, her boots traipsing through the floorboards "Where could you have gone?" She wandered into another boring-colored room that was in a worse state than the rest. Anaksha's eyes gazed around the area. Suddenly her eyes fixated themselves onto the window opposite her. It was open; and in front of the window was a balcony and the fire escape ladder. Peering outside the window, Anaksha suddenly flinched when a bullet from above nearly struck her on the head. Ann, up above continued ascending the staircase as Anaksha fired a few rounds from her Colt. The bullets ricocheted off the railings and steps but luckily they missed Ann. Realising her blunder, Anaksha stepped over onto the balcony and clambered her way in pursuit. Ann fired off a few more shots in response to this. C'mon girl. Just a few more... and with a grunt and a prayer ascended higher up the ladder. The two ladies were within reach of each other. Anaksha tried to grab onto Ann's leg but she kicked her away and scampered up to where the ladder ended. Regaining her line of sight, Anaksha fired off a few more shots emptying the Colt in the process. Sensing that her opponent was not far behind, Ann fired her USP at the first sign of Anaksha's head peeking over the wall. Anaksha, however, planned this confrontation out carefully. She took out her mirror and held it up so the sun's glowing glare flared up in Ann's eyes. In her dazed state, Ann tried to fire her USP but she missed her shots by a long mile. Anaksha meanwhile reached the top of the ladder, ready to charge. Shots rang out but Anaksha tackled a blinded Ann to the ground. Suddenly, everything cleared for Ann and when she saw her adversary about to deliver her first punch, Ann grabbed the arm and kneed the stomach. Anaksha collapsed on her side in immense pain just as Ann gets up. Walking over to her seemingly beat opponent, Ann kicked her once more to make sure the pain lasted very long. "Any last words before I kill you, scum?" Ann grunted through her teeth. Looking down the barrel of a gun is not what Anaksha had in mind when she planned her line of attack. But she wasn't going to cave in. "Yeah..." Anaksha grunted as she wiped the blood from her lips. "You, my lady..." Anaksha slowly stood up "are never gonna live to tell the tale!". Anaksha swiped a kick sending Ann back a few steps. Ann countered with a neck chop and chest uppercut. This melee and exchange of punches and kicks continues on until... "Hey, what's that behind you?" Anaksha taunted. "Oh I'm not falling for tha-" Ann replied before she realised she was close to the edge of the roof. She eventually looked behind her at the narrow yet dark alleyway that lay below. Taking advantage of the situation, Anaksha headbutted Ann sending her to the ground, head just peeking over the edge. Ann tried to fend off Anaksha's oncoming punch but instead, Anaksha (with her bandaged hand) grabs hold of Ann's throat, squeezing it as hard as she could. Ann could almost feel every inch of her life being torn away from her as she lost her breath. Anaksha, despite the pain in her shot hand, squeezed harder and smiled at the apparent torture she was dealing on a worthy opponent. "So, looks like you'll be getting the last word" Anaksha maliciously grinned knowing her secret is about to become safe. Suddenly, a new sound filled the air. Police sirens were wailing and heading towards the building at high speed. Ah shit! Someone heard us! Anaksha's eyes were so fixated onto the horizon from where the sounds were coming from that she did not notice Ann clenching her fist. With all her might, Ann punched Anaksha very firmly in the throat, sending Anaksha to the ground. Ann gasped for air as she tried to make herself mobile; blood and phlegm was spat out of her mouth before she can wearily get back onto her two feet. Trouble for Ann was that Anaksha was up on her two feet simultaneously. The rage felt between the two was intense. Both parties eyed each other with intense fervour and character. Ann breathed heavily knowing the frustration she has faced in catching this wanted crook will all be worth in. Time, suddenly seemed to slow down as Ann made her first move. Anaksha crossed her arms in defence as Ann threw an uppercut punch followed by a left hook. Block after block after block, Anaksha gave it her all in defending herself and her name. She tried to throw some punches of her own but these were met with similar manoeuvres. Then the unexpected happened. In a split-second, Ann produced her USP and aimed it point blank between the eyes. Slightly fazed, Anaksha almost conceded defeat. However, she remembered what her Baba-ji told her about CQC - always go for the gun and not the person. As quick as a wink, Anaksha wrenched Ann forward by the elbow; with her free fist, she grasped the hand that held the pistol and twisted it so the barrel aimed for the abdomen. Before Ann knew it, her fingers were forcibly depressed on the trigger. Down below on street level, Jack and his unit were patiently waiting outside the front doors of the tenement, guns at the ready. A large crowd gathered behind them, muttering about what was to happen next. "OK... wait for it... wait for it..." Jack cautioned to the others. Then...bang! A gunshot rang out from above. Given the connotation, Jack squinted in shock for a brief moment before ordering the men to barge down the door. Before he can mouth three however, the crowd behind him recoiled in horror as something fell from the sky. Looking up towards the roof, Jack squinted to get a better view. He could see nothing at first but then...crash! and the crowd behind him recoiled in horror. Looking behind him, Jack gaped in awe and fright at what lay before him. Smashed onto the windscreen and bonnet of his police car lay Ann - like a model from a still black-and-white photo. Her eyes were glazed into paleness and blood trickled out of her mouth. Looking further at the body, Jack could make out several bullet wounds in the abdomen area. The police force's only hope of ever catching The Virgo Killer was finished. "Get the morgue over here now!" Jack screamed at the other blue-coated officers who promptly scattered in all directions. Jack was tempted to feel the face of his dead companion but out of modesty, he just stood back up, a tear starting to form in his eyes. Jack looked up one last time at the building to find out who dropped her from such a height. But there was no movement. A single silhouette failed to appear. "That son of a bitch!" Jack muttered under his breath before looking at the body one last time. All the rage built up within him had been subdued by the sorrow he now has to bear when the other EPDA alumni ask for her whereabouts. Placing his hands over her eyes, Jack solemnly shut them as an act of respect. "Here's looking at you, kid" he whispered. Winner: Anaksha Expert's Opinion While it was noted than Ann had a superior handgun, the USP, in relation to Anaksha's Colt and her sniper rifle was more suited for urban combat, Anaksha had the overall superior sniper rifle and dominated the important X-Factors in terrain familiarity, marksmanship, tech and brutality that trumped Ann's superior experience. If you found this battle misrepresented or unfair in any way, shape or form, you have my permission to go ahead and do a rematch. To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here. Category:Bios